The gigantic plume of oil that has reportedly formed under the surface of the Gulf may be stealing headlines, but a smaller chemical plume is menacing some Tampa Bay area residents. For years, defense contractor Raytheon dumped toxic waste into an on-site pond. That waste seeped into the groundwater, which sits beneath St. Petersburgâs Azalea neighborhood.

When the story broke in 2008, nearly twenty years after officials knew about it, residents were outraged. Raytheon proposed a cleanup plan, but the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) rejected it.

Today, state Senator Charlie Justice wrote a letter to the DEP urging them to get out of the way of the cleanup. WMNF asked Senator Justice why he wrote that letter.

In response to Justiceâs letter, the DEP issued a statement indicating the department is requesting additional modeling of the contaminantsâ behavior in the soil and groundwater, among other things.